Changing Face of Akihabara

[Jonosuke 28]

There is a Japanese word, "Otaku", referring mostly to guys ( I guess this is more of male thing) who are totally and single-mindedly into pursuing something like anime (Gundam immediately comes to mind), computer, video game, screen idol and such (as well we may all be considered as "Sumo Otaku"). Initially being an Otaku meant you are more or less a geek or nerd.

Actually this word originated from a clothing. It comes from "Anorak" which is a hooded long coat. often wore by train lovers. They used to sit at a train station for all day and almost all night watching trains go by wearing an Anorak in all kinds of weather. Soon the word referred to those who were so pre-occupied by their self-interest as displayed by their lack of any fashion sense and demonstrated by their behavior devoid of any social adaptability so highly valued in Japan.

I just mentioned this to you as a following story is about the place long considered to be Otaku's Mecca, their holy place and how it is changing.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It's been a month and half since a major camera and electronics chain, Yodobashi Camera, opened one of the nation's largest retail store, "Multimedia Akiba", in Tokyo's Akihabara district. Long known for its clusters of electronics and anime shops, Akihabara was widely called "the holy place of Otaku". How has "Akiba", as it is known around the world, changed since then?

"It was just a sea of people. Everywhere you looked, there were people. So many that you couldn't even find merchandise," said Yasushi Kato, the store's assistant store manager, looking back on the first few days after their grand opening, Four days after the opening, the store attracted approximately one million people. They needed to get all extra help they could get from their stores around Tokyo area to get through the initial rush.

In one month since their opening on September 16, Yodobashi Camera had over 3.5 million people visiting their Akihabara store. Just for comparison, the average monthly visitors to the Tokyo Disney Resort (Land and Sea) in 2004 was 2.09 million while the total year attendance of baseball's Hanshin Tigers was 3.13 million. It has been simply a phenomoninal month for them.

Tsukuba Express commuter train line which started running on August 24 had experienced 10,000 to 20,000 more daily users at their Akihabara station since the store opening. JR (Japan Rail) line, which had less commuters using their stations competing with the new Tsukuba line, saw more users at their Akihabara station.

Even small shop owners worried about losing their regular customers to the mega-chain are seeing more customers. "We've never witnessed as many people on our major streets. We have far more customers visiting our stores than we anticipated and imagined," said Takashi Kamoi, manager of Akihabara Electronics Town Dev elopement Bureau. They have not tallied the detailed numbers yet, but the estimate is around at least 10% increase in sales.

They are saying one remarkable thing is that they are getting more families coming to the town as never before. In the Yodobashi store, there is a special toy sales area as well as a restaurant mall. The store is also providing a reserved area for breast feeding and diaper change in women washroom. "We've tried to attract more families to Akihabara which has always been known as the Otaku Town," said Akikazu Fujisawa, the president of Yodobashi Camera. So far he has hit his target right on as over half of his customers are families. "We used to go to Big Camera store in Ikebukuro (a major shopping district in Tokyo) but from now on we will be coming over here," said a man from Arakawa-ward visiting the Yodobashi store with his wife and 7-month old daughter.

According to Professor Kenichiro Senoh with the Advanced Applied Science Research Center at the University of Tokyo who is familiar Akihabara says, "Hidden Akiba Group came back with their family."

"Basically men likes machines. Those who used to frequent Akihabara in the past returned ostensibly to go to theYodobashi."

Unlike their bachelor days, they've been feeling a bit guilty coming to Akihabara all alone. But now by saying to their family, "Let's go to the Yodobashi", and taking them all along, they feel they can even march into their favorite stores without feeling defensive.

Underscoring the phenomenon, you often hear, "Oh it's been a while" greetings at many of electronic components and parts stores all around Akihabara as the old timers return.

A new 22 stories high rise tower with three underground level, "Akihabara UDX Building". will be opening next March. Within three years there are plans for several hotel and office complexes to be built.

"Akihabara always possessed a magical potential, perhaps it may even end up to be something like a 'Theme Park' town one day," Professor Senoh says. It may be that the opening of Yodobashi Camera store is just a brief phase of the town's evolutionary process.

- from the Mainichi Shimbun, October 29 , 2005

[Petr 0]

Further reading on otaku:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otaku

[Mark Buckton 1]

how do you guys know so much on otaku? (In a state of confusion...) (Sign of approval)

Edited October 30, 2005 by Adachinoryu

[Zuikakuyama 1]

One of the better comics I read is Densha Otoko, or Train Man. It is about a Akihabara man that manages to date the girl of his dreams.

[Araiguma_Rascal 0]

Sorry to quibble, but after checking the Wikipedia entries cited by Petr on Otaku and Anorak, it appears that the words are not etymologically related, although they have similar meanings. Basically Anorak is British in origin, while Otaku is Japanese.

Anyway, I haven't been to Akiba lately, so maybe I'll pop over after work today to check out the new Yodobashi store. Hopefully the crowds have dispersed enough to get in and out without a hassle. I will report my findings. (Band playing...)

[Jakusotsu 4,882]

Basically Anorak is British in origin, while Otaku is Japanese.

Wrong. Anorak is of Inuit origin.

[Araiguma_Rascal 0]

Basically Anorak is British in origin, while Otaku is Japanese.

Wrong. Anorak is of Inuit origin.

Oops, OK, further inquiry confirms this. (Sigh...)

Anyway, so I went yesterday, and the store is huge, but it was not very crowded at all. I didn't have much time, so I only saw one floor. I went straight to the 6th floor, which is otaku central. This is where all the games and hobby goods are, including the figurines, plastic models, model trains, plastic bb guns that look real, games, toys, cds, dvds, etc. Unfortunately I didn't have much time to enjoy it, but it certainly seems to be worth a visit for anyone in the neighborhood with even a remote interest in Japanese pop culture. It also has many imported western "analog" games (non-computer games) such as Monopoly and various others. Theres also a lot of toys.

[Peterao 3]

Huge Yodobashi are not all that rare. They are taking over the department stores that Seibu and Marui leave behind. A rather large one opened up in Kawasaki last year, and one that almost rivals Akiba in size just opened outside Yokohama station a couple weeks back.

[Petr 0]

Last night, there was an unusally good documentary program on Changing Akiba.

The simplest finding I can quote from there was that meido are now all over the place - a real trend.

Why are waves of fads and fashion so strong in Japan?

That reminds me. From today's morning news: some organizations selects some 'most important stuff'(??) of each year in Japan. This year for the first time a human being got on the list (among stuff like EXPO etc.). (Nodding yes...)

Guess who?

(You are going off-topic...) Lazer Ramon HG!! (In a state of confusion...)

[Doitsuyama 1,150]

The simplest finding I can quote from there was that meido are now all over the place - a real trend.

What is meido? Do you mean maids?

[Petr 0]

The simplest finding I can quote from there was that meido are now all over the place - a real trend.

What is meido? Do you mean maids?

Yes. The Japanese kind.

[Jonosuke 28]

The simplest finding I can quote from there was that meido are now all over the place - a real trend.

What is meido? Do you mean maids?

I think he means those Maid Coffeehouses springing up there. Apparently you get served by a girl dressed up like a proverbial French Maid. Yeah, them and Otakus, only in Akiba you say.

Edited November 29, 2005 by Jonosuke

[Petr 0]

The simplest finding I can quote from there was that meido are now all over the place - a real trend.

What is meido? Do you mean maids?

I think he means those Maid Coffeehouses springing up there. Apparently you get served by a girl dressed up like a proverbial French Maid. Yeah, them and Otakus, only in Akiba you say.

Actually, it's not only Akiba anymore. There was a Maid Coffeehouse even at our school festival.

And it's not only Cofeehouses anymore!! Other services too reportedly start to recruit meido to cash in on their popularity. Otakus are willing to pay good fees for any substandard service by a meido. Not just otaku. The coffee house at our festival was full. Everyone just needs see what everyone speaks about.

[Petr 0]

I've recently heard that the real Otaku don't to Akiba anymore, since it has become so widely popular. The hardcore shops are supposed to be in Nagano now.

[Sasanishiki 57]

Nagano, as in where the Winter Olympics were held back in 1998? That is a hell of a long way away. I could understand Nakano, just to the west of Shinjuku as there is already an arcade there with several manga and anime stores as well as selling computer games and character goods (paraphenalia).

[Sasanishiki 57]

My guess for the human being is Asashoryu. Or was this to be a rhetorical question where the answer was to be obvious?

[Doitsuyama 1,150]

My guess for the human being is Asashoryu. Or was this to be a rhetorical question where the answer was to be obvious?

He even wrote the answer down. "Hard Gay" it is. Japanese people can be weird. No wonder pro wrestling is taken serious.

[Kintamayama 40,611]

He even wrote the answer down. "Hard Gay" it is. Japanese people can be weird. No wonder pro wrestling is taken serious.

The changing face of Akebono?

[Sasanishiki 57]

My guess for the human being is Asashoryu. Or was this to be a rhetorical question where the answer was to be obvious?

He even wrote the answer down. "Hard Gay" it is. Japanese people can be weird. No wonder pro wrestling is taken serious.

Oh right. I saw the thign at the bottom and couldn't tell what it was. However, by your description I'm guesing it is the weird guy who I saw a couple of times on TV in leather shorts and vest and looking a bit camp, yet tough. Didn't know his name but it must be him. Can't think of any other "Hard Gays"

[Doitsuyama 1,150]

My guess for the human being is Asashoryu. Or was this to be a rhetorical question where the answer was to be obvious?

He even wrote the answer down. "Hard Gay" it is. Japanese people can be weird. No wonder pro wrestling is taken serious.

Oh right. I saw the thign at the bottom and couldn't tell what it was. However, by your description I'm guesing it is the weird guy who I saw a couple of times on TV in leather shorts and vest and looking a bit camp, yet tough. Didn't know his name but it must be him. Can't think of any other "Hard Gays"

Correct. The Lazer actually is supposed to be Leather. Man of the year? You decide.

[Petr 0]

My guess for the human being is Asashoryu. Or was this to be a rhetorical question where the answer was to be obvious?

He even wrote the answer down. "Hard Gay" it is. Japanese people can be weird. No wonder pro wrestling is taken serious.

Oh right. I saw the thign at the bottom and couldn't tell what it was. However, by your description I'm guesing it is the weird guy who I saw a couple of times on TV in leather shorts and vest and looking a bit camp, yet tough. Didn't know his name but it must be him. Can't think of any other "Hard Gays"

Correct. The Lazer actually is supposed to be Leather. Man of the year? You decide.

Sorry, Nakano, of course.

Are you sure about the Leather? Leather in katakanago would be "reza-" but HG is "reiza-", right?

[Doitsuyama 1,150]

Are you sure about the Leather? Leather in katakanago would be "reza-" but HG is "reiza-", right?

Actually, I'm not sure at all. I don't even know him, but he seems to be a hilarious actor according to my findings.

[Asashosakari 16,827]

Are you sure about the Leather? Leather in katakanago would be "reza-" but HG is "reiza-", right?

FWIW, various places (including this Mainichi article, for example) are also using "Razor" as the transliteration.

Edited November 30, 2005 by Asashosakari

[Doitsuyama 1,150]

Hey, let's stay with the real question. How can that actor be person of the year?

[Petr 0]

There is also ha-do rezu now.

She wears the same leather stuff but in pink.